The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-27
INCIDENTS OF LOCAL LIFE.
Things That Are Heard and Seen in the Wan
derings of Vigilant Journal Reporters.

lis this the headquarters of the Grand Army
inquired an old man, with faltering step and
sh abby dress, of Ben D. House in the Adjutant-
generals Office yesterday morning. Mr.. House
answered in the affirmative, and the old man
then told his story. He was an old soldier. For
four years he had faced the shot and shell, and
had been with Sherman on his march to the sea-
His home was In southern Indiana Several
years ago he had gone to Wisconsin, but
misfortune had overtaken him. He had
lost all his family and with them all his worldly
possessions. He was on his way to his home,
and had been depending on the Grand Army
posts to help him through. Tuesday night he
reached this citv. and not knowing where to go
for help had walked the streets ali night. He
knew he hadn't long to live, and wanted to get
back to his old home to die. This story touched
a tender chord in the poets heart, and the bat
tie SCARED hero went away with the sort OF SYM
pathy he wanted.
An old freshman. whose brogue is so bad that
he cannot make his name understood, climbs
the stairs to the Criminal Court room every day.
and recites to Prosecutor Mitchell his troubles.
He has a delusion that some one is conspirlng to
have him arrested. in order to secure his prop
erty, and his mind cannot be cleared of the i'm
preston. He lives alone, up on the canal, and,
SO far any one knows, has no property
There are of women, and nearly as
many men in the city, who have no home but the
work house. What to do with such people wor-
ries the police much AS soon as they re-
leased from the work house they commit some
misdemeanor which they know they can be
returned On several occasions some of these
people have called at the staton-house and
asked to be sent out until spring. The class Is
not so troublesome during the summer season,
when they live outdoors. and beg enough to eat.
Two months ago young man came to the
city from Cincinnati, and the second night he
WAS here landed in the station-house, from
whence he went to the work-house for twenty
days. He gives his hame Loeb. He pos
sesses a rather brilliant mind, but is confirmed
inebriate. When he was released from the work
house he Immediately got drunk. and was again
taken in charge by the officers. He is out again,
and is taking hand in the senatorial fight.
Last night he was about the Bates House. ad-
visng Jim Rice and other able politicians how
Turpie could be elected. It is said by some of
the politicians who have seen him before that he
is relative of Ex-Governor of an adjoining
State, and was at one time Journalist of the
humorous sort.
The student Of human nature doesn't have to
| frequent the county Jail much until he becomes
convinced that in the most hardened criminals
there still remainsa spark of the good and affec
| Tomato Not day passes but what little incl
| dents occur about the big iron door that con-
| vince the observes that the worst men are not
| so bad they seem. There was affecting
/ scene yesterday afternoon when the aged father
and mother of a young eolored man called upon
| him. The young man has passed through about
| all stages of crime, and yet. when his parents
and when they started to leave he entirely broke
down.